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S. MATTHEW.

CHAP. I.

The genealogy of Christ: he is conceived and born of a virgin.

1. Liber generationis JESU CHRISTI, filii David, filii Abraham.

2. Abraham genuit Isaac; Isaac autem genuit Jacob; Jacob autem genuit Judam et fratres ejus;

3. Judas autem genuit Phares et Zaram de Thamar; Phares autem genuit Esron; Esron autem genuit Aram;

4. Aram autem genuit Aminadab; Aminadab autem genuit Naasson; Naasson autem genuit Salmon;

5. Salmon autem genuit Booz de Rahab; Booz autem genuit Obed ex Ruth, Obed autem genuit Jesse; Jesse autem genuit David regem.

1. The book of the 'generation of JESUS CHRIST, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2. Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren.

3. And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram.

4. And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon.

5. And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king.

Genealogies were common among the Jews, because they were necessary for the preservation of property, and the tracing of the lines by which this could be properly done. No matter how property might be alienated, sold, or mortgaged; it had to go back to its original owner or his heir, at the year of the Jubilee, or after fifty years. This ordinance of the Mosaic Law could not be observed unless the genealogies were well and carefully kept. Sometimes there were intermarriages between different tribes, especially after the Captivity, which made the keeping of these records a necessity. The tribe of Levi again, which was scattered

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up and down through Palestine, must be kept distinct for the priestly and levitical ministrations.

It is but just to conclude that the Genealogy of the tribe of Judah would be most carefully preserved in consequence of the promise that the Messias should be born of it. S. Matthew is supposed, by most writers, to have merely copied the Genealogy as it was kept in the archives of the family or in the Temple. His object in doing so is given in his own words :

"Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." Our Lord is very often styled Son of David, and many sick people ask Him by this title to cure them. This was the royal stock of which He was to come. David is son of Abraham, after the manner of Hebrew phraseology, and we know that there was a rivalry between the Jews, the Samaritans, and some neighbouring tribes, as to which were lineally descended from Abraham through the lawful and recognised patriarchs.

S. Matthew gives then the genealogy of Joseph, and S. Luke gives that of Mary. As they were both nearly related, one would do for the other; and so many writers think.

1 Gospel, from the Saxon Gode (good) and spell (news), a literal translation of the Greek. The headings of the Gospel and also of the Chapters were not written by the Evangelist.

2 Generation. This is the Genealogy of Our Lord from Abraham to Joseph, and is written obviously for the Jews who had become Christians, in order that they might see the prophecies fulfilled in him. The questions which trouble commentators with regard to this genealogy are very few. We first have the mention of certain women-Thamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Urias. These women were not certainly models of virtue, even in the low standard prevalent among the Jews. The xxxviii. Chapter of Genesis gives the history of Thamar. An injustice was done to her, and she may have considered the means of reparation she had recourse to as justifiable under the circumstances. Even Judah himself acknowledged as much. It is not quite certain that the Rahab mentioned in v. 5 is the person mentioned in Josue iii; and, if she be, she changed her evil life before becoming the wife of Salmon. Ruth's manner of bringing herself under the notice of Booz, Ruth iii. may be somewhat objectionable; but there is nothing further to be urged against her. She was certainly a Gentile, and so was Rahab, if we suppose her not to be different from the harlot. The wife of Uriah was a legal wife to David before she begot Solomon.

3 Begot Naasson.-Naasson was the head of the tribe Judah, when the Israelites left Egypt, as we see from Numbers i. 7. In the 430 years of

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their sojourn we should have but six generations: Judah, Phares, Esron, Aram, Aminadab, and Naasson. That would make a generation consist of seventy years, or thereabouts, which was not too much in those times. The prophecy in Genesis xv. 13-16, which is referred to the Egyptian bondage-four generations-is put by interpreters to mean the general descendants, and not the tribe of Juda only.

Two interesting Discourses may be given from the very title of this Gospel. One on the words Jesus Christ. Jesus means Saviour. One may be saved by a foresight of his merits from sin; the generality of mankind in a fallen state, after sin.

Salvation of Men.

1. The sinless.

2. Original sin.
3. Actual.

The first two without our efforts. The third never. What our efforts should consist in. Conclusion.

6. David autem rex genuit Salomonem ex eâ quæ fuit Uriæ;

7. Salomon autem genuit Roboam; Roboam autem genuit Abiam; Abias autem genuit Asa;

8. Asa autem genuit Josaphat; Josaphat autem genuit Joram; Joram autem genuit Oziam;

9. Ozias autem genuit Joatham; Joatham autem genuit Achaz; Achaz autem genuit Ezechiam;

10. Ezechias autem genuit Manassen; Manassen autem genuit Amon; Amon autem genuit Josiam;

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The difficulties arising from the genealogies might easily be ignored if it were not for the exaggerated ideas about inspiration which find their way into some theologies and pious books. This genealogy is a statement of names and may be easily garbled by copyists and translators. To make an argument out of a disagreement or an omission would be the very utmost effort of ill-reasoning malignity.

Now, writers generally maintain that Josias was dead twenty years before the Babylonian captivity.

Then the captivity reached over a number of years, and the Greek mi about the time, or just the time, ought to save all trouble.

To expect minute exactness from men, who wrote at this period of letters, would be to expect miracles. Our Lord never worked miracles for letters. He kept His inspired writers from mistakes in matters which could affect faith and morals.

In matters of fact, a great deal was left to each one's particular bias. The grand marvel is, how all worked together to the one great end, and how these unprepared or inelegant books, live for ever because of the sublimity of their subject.

1 Joram.-Here occurs the first omission in the genealogy. Three generations are left out by the Evangelist, and he must have good reasons for doing so. The one most generally adopted by the Fathers is, that Joram, by his marriage with Athalia, brought a curse upon his family, which reached to the fourth generation. Joram begot Ozias—his greatgreat-grandson, who may be called his son according to the Jewish way of speaking-Jesus, son of David, e.g.

For preaching purposes this genealogy may be used in two ways. First, as the proof of Our Lord's family being the predestined one. Secondly, as showing how hollow such things are, if looked into philosophically. How many bad men and women are to be found in the very best genealogy. Why then be proud of it?

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11. Josias autem genuit Jechoniam et fratres ejus, in transmigratione Babylonis.

12. Et post transmigrationem Babylonis, Jechonias genuit Salathiel; Salathiel autem genuit Zorobabel;

13. Zorobabel autem genuit Abiud; Abiud autem genuit Eliacim; Eliacim autem genuit Azor;

14. Azor autem genuit Sadoc; Sadoc autem genuit Achim; Achim autem genuit Eliud;

15. Eliud autem genuit Eleazar; Eleazar autem genuit Mathan; Mathan autem genuit Jacob;

16. Jacob autem genuit Joseph, virum Mariæ, de quâ natus est JESUS qui vocatur CHRISTUS.

II. And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

12. And after they were carried to Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel.

13. And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor.

14. And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud.

15. And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob.

16. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary; of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

1 Josias.-According to some, Jechonias was the grandson and not the son of Josias. Lingard thinks there were two Jechoniases. Twelve Greek codices have Josias begot Joakim; Joakim begot Jechonias and his brethren. An error in transcription would easily account for this one omission.

The third difficulty with regard to this genealogy is its reconciliation with that of S. Luke iii. 23 et seq. Some writers are of opinion that both Evangelists give the genealogy of Joseph. This parts company at Nathan and Solomon, joins together in Zorobabel, and is supposed to join again in Mathan and Melchi who were husbands successively of the same woman. Joseph was the son of Jacob in the usual way, but the legal son of Heli, who died without issue.

A good many commentators suppose that Luke gives the genealogy of Mary, who was cousin to Joseph. The greater number of generations in Luke can be accounted for by early marriages.

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